In 2008, Virtual Training Partners (VTP ) launched a new online, 3-D approach to corporate training and education that delivers dramatic results and has the potential to change perceptions and expectations of such programs worldwide. Virtual Training Partners moves the experience of learning from conference rooms to the online, virtual world of Second Life, where participants and instructors interact as avatars in dynamic, ever-changing environments.
Snapshot of Rotunda
Virtual Training Partners provides the following services:
• Assess clients’ current learning environments and conduct cost-benefit analysis of
utilizing virtual world platforms in training offerings
• Create and Integrate virtual world training into existing learning curricula
• Design, deliver, and drive results through cutting edge 3D Virtual Training
To date, Virtual Training Partners has developed and delivered over 50 hours of programming in Second Life, including Negotiation, Influencing and Leadership Skills.
Concert Hall with PowerPoint Screens
The Challenge
What was the primary business challenge to be addressed with this project?
Our parent company, Shapiro Negotiations Institute, has been delivering traditional front of the room training for the past 14 years. Over the past three years, corporate training departments have had their budgets cut and travel budgets reduced and often completely eliminated. While other training organizations tried to address this issue by migrating their content to e-learning platforms and webinars, SNI never felt that these formats provided the engaging experience needed to effectively teach a soft skill such as negotiation. Our business challenge, therefore, was to develop an online learning experience that provided substantially more impact for our clients.
Learning Objectives
What key learning objectives were you seeking to accomplish by implementing the project?
Our key learning objectives are three-fold:
To demonstrate that 3D Virtual Training meets or exceeds the retention rates of front of the room training and other e-learning solutions.
To assess the technological hurdles that remain for widespread implementation of 3D Virtual Platforms
To provide a baseline ROI assessment that can be used to demonstrate the viability of 3D Training.
Rotunda Lecturn
Why 3D?
What led you to explore the application of 3D technology to address the business and learning challenge?
From our first exposure to 3D Technology in 2008, we realized that it would be a game changer in the world of Corporate Training. It was immediately apparent that this 3D format provided that type of visceral ‘around the campfire storytelling’ experience that has been the key to effective learning since the dawn of man. Being able to ‘see’ the person next to you, look them in the eye, hear and respond to them is essential. Those were all of the things that are absent from traditional e-learning. Once we saw that 3D Technology provided these immersive experiences, we immediately starting investing substantial time in bringing our training to 3D Platforms.
Making the Case
How did you convince the organization to adopt a 3D approach?
What was the most important element to securing sponsorship for the project
At first, my business partners were skeptical of the idea of using Avatars to train in the corporate world. I asked them to indulge me while I developed a feel for the technology. On a shoestring budget, I was able to put together a one hour program using some rented land and locations, such as the Sistine Chapel, that had already been developed in SL. After this initial development, I put my partners at the helm of a computer and asked them to participate in that class. Within 30 minutes of getting inworld, they provided me with 100% support and agreed to a substantial budget for building out an island and developing complimentary technology.
There were 3 key elements to securing sponsorship:
Under-promise: I think that too many people try to get sponsorship by overselling the potential of 3D Technology. Potential sponsors may react with a “too good to be true” response. We instead underplayed the potential impact, asked for a minimal amount of support, and gave ourselves substantial runway to deliver the project
Over-deliver – we took 3 months to demonstrate what we had done, because we wanted to make sure that every angle had been covered. We practiced our session 25 times to make sure that it was a ‘knock your socks off experience.” The entire time we underplayed the potential impact of the technology.
Let the technology do the talking – When it was time to present, we simply sat the partners in front of their own computer and let them experience the program for themselves. We did not run a powerpoint demonstration or give more than a 5 minute introduction. We kept the experience simple and just let them explore on their own. They ended up convincing themselves of the enormous potential without our ever saying a word.
The Solution
What did the solution look like?
How was the solution designed and deployed?
How was the solution experienced by participants?
Course Participants Checking Out the Sistine Chapel
Our solution has been to deliver over 50 hours of programming on our own Virtual Training Partners SIM. We engaged builders and worked closely to translate our material into 3D immersive environments that allowed the participants to hear, see and ultimately live the stories we used to make our learning points. All of our programming is live, as I do not think that asynchronous learning takes advantage of the 3D Technology to make it worth the investment. We bring in 10-15 people in for a training session. The program lasts a little over an hour. Participants learn lessons by listening to stories and taking quick group oriented question and answer sessions. Participants have reacted incredibly well, as represented by the following blogs that were written by participants:
What benefits were achieved from applying 3D to address the business issue?
We have a client that had previously cancelled all of their live training in Europe due to travel budget cuts. After seeing the 3D Technology, they are now reallocating budget that they had intended to use for traditional e-learning platforms. We have rekindled relationships with clients who are not hiring consultants to provide training, but who are engaging us to help them explore the potential of 3D Training Technology.
The Results
What evidence do you have to suggest that this 3D solution was successful?
Thus far we have made six pitches to Fourtune 500 companies, and each has invited us back for further discussions. Two are already running pilot programs, while the other four are in the process of getting approval for pilots. Everyone with whom we have spoken has started the conversation as a skeptic and ended as a enthusiast supporter.
Lessons Learned
What top three pieces of advice would you have for others seeking to implement 3D learning solutions within their organization?
Find the Experts. Even though this 3D Technology is relatively new, there are people in the market that can provide you with the expertise and gravitas you will need to sell these ideas and avoid making avoidable mistakes.
Know the objections. There are about 10-15 common objections detractors will use to thwart the adoption of this technology. Become an expert at handling these objections and realize that most of them are based in misunderstanding of what the 3D Technology has to offer.
Get hands on. It is cliché, but ‘seeing is believing.’ If you are holding a meeting with people you are trying to influence, make sure that you get them engaged by putting them behind an avatar. You will fail if you try to sell 3D Technology with words alone.
Virtual Training Partners Case Study
In 2008, Virtual Training Partners (VTP ) launched a new online, 3-D approach to corporate training and education that delivers dramatic results and has the potential to change perceptions and expectations of such programs worldwide. Virtual Training Partners moves the experience of learning from conference rooms to the online, virtual world of Second Life, where participants and instructors interact as avatars in dynamic, ever-changing environments.
Virtual Training Partners provides the following services:
• Assess clients’ current learning environments and conduct cost-benefit analysis of
utilizing virtual world platforms in training offerings
• Create and Integrate virtual world training into existing learning curricula
• Design, deliver, and drive results through cutting edge 3D Virtual Training
To date, Virtual Training Partners has developed and delivered over 50 hours of programming in Second Life, including Negotiation, Influencing and Leadership Skills.
The Challenge
- What was the primary business challenge to be addressed with this project?
Our parent company, Shapiro Negotiations Institute, has been delivering traditional front of the room training for the past 14 years. Over the past three years, corporate training departments have had their budgets cut and travel budgets reduced and often completely eliminated. While other training organizations tried to address this issue by migrating their content to e-learning platforms and webinars, SNI never felt that these formats provided the engaging experience needed to effectively teach a soft skill such as negotiation. Our business challenge, therefore, was to develop an online learning experience that provided substantially more impact for our clients.Learning Objectives
- What key learning objectives were you seeking to accomplish by implementing the project?
Our key learning objectives are three-fold:Why 3D?
- What led you to explore the application of 3D technology to address the business and learning challenge?
From our first exposure to 3D Technology in 2008, we realized that it would be a game changer in the world of Corporate Training. It was immediately apparent that this 3D format provided that type of visceral ‘around the campfire storytelling’ experience that has been the key to effective learning since the dawn of man. Being able to ‘see’ the person next to you, look them in the eye, hear and respond to them is essential. Those were all of the things that are absent from traditional e-learning. Once we saw that 3D Technology provided these immersive experiences, we immediately starting investing substantial time in bringing our training to 3D Platforms.Making the Case
- How did you convince the organization to adopt a 3D approach?
- What was the most important element to securing sponsorship for the project
At first, my business partners were skeptical of the idea of using Avatars to train in the corporate world. I asked them to indulge me while I developed a feel for the technology. On a shoestring budget, I was able to put together a one hour program using some rented land and locations, such as the Sistine Chapel, that had already been developed in SL. After this initial development, I put my partners at the helm of a computer and asked them to participate in that class. Within 30 minutes of getting inworld, they provided me with 100% support and agreed to a substantial budget for building out an island and developing complimentary technology.There were 3 key elements to securing sponsorship:
- Under-promise: I think that too many people try to get sponsorship by overselling the potential of 3D Technology. Potential sponsors may react with a “too good to be true” response. We instead underplayed the potential impact, asked for a minimal amount of support, and gave ourselves substantial runway to deliver the project
- Over-deliver – we took 3 months to demonstrate what we had done, because we wanted to make sure that every angle had been covered. We practiced our session 25 times to make sure that it was a ‘knock your socks off experience.” The entire time we underplayed the potential impact of the technology.
- Let the technology do the talking – When it was time to present, we simply sat the partners in front of their own computer and let them experience the program for themselves. We did not run a powerpoint demonstration or give more than a 5 minute introduction. We kept the experience simple and just let them explore on their own. They ended up convincing themselves of the enormous potential without our ever saying a word.
The SolutionOur solution has been to deliver over 50 hours of programming on our own Virtual Training Partners SIM. We engaged builders and worked closely to translate our material into 3D immersive environments that allowed the participants to hear, see and ultimately live the stories we used to make our learning points. All of our programming is live, as I do not think that asynchronous learning takes advantage of the 3D Technology to make it worth the investment. We bring in 10-15 people in for a training session. The program lasts a little over an hour. Participants learn lessons by listening to stories and taking quick group oriented question and answer sessions. Participants have reacted incredibly well, as represented by the following blogs that were written by participants:
__http://www.blogcatalog.com/ blog/the-aussie-guys-blog__
__http://www.ireport.com/docs/ DOC-356373__
__http://theimmersivelife. wordpress.com/__
The Benefits
We have a client that had previously cancelled all of their live training in Europe due to travel budget cuts. After seeing the 3D Technology, they are now reallocating budget that they had intended to use for traditional e-learning platforms. We have rekindled relationships with clients who are not hiring consultants to provide training, but who are engaging us to help them explore the potential of 3D Training Technology.
The Results
- What evidence do you have to suggest that this 3D solution was successful?
Thus far we have made six pitches to Fourtune 500 companies, and each has invited us back for further discussions. Two are already running pilot programs, while the other four are in the process of getting approval for pilots. Everyone with whom we have spoken has started the conversation as a skeptic and ended as a enthusiast supporter.Lessons Learned
Buy the Book